Dog walkers in Hainault Recreation Ground feared for their pets’ lives on Monday when they found exposed power cables.

A 400 volt electricity box was reportedly near the caravan site with wires hanging loose.

Veterinary nurse Daryl Schneider, 21, stopped her husky from chewing the wires.

Believing the box was live, she said: “I’ve been here a couple of times and I thought it would be nice to take my dog here and now I’ve ended up with this.

“There could have been a horrible accident.”

She said other dog walkers gathered to inspect the box before moving away for safety.

A council spokesman said: “The electricity box described is located in Forest Road playing fields and is a remnant for changing facilities which were previously on this site.

“Our electrical engineer has confirmed this is safe and the wires are not live, this will be cut down to ground level in due course.”